Tests and diagnosis

When you decide to seek treatment for symptoms of possible kleptomania, you may have both a physical and psychological evaluation. The physical exam can determine if there may be any medical causes triggering your symptoms.

Kleptomania is diagnosed based on your signs and symptoms. Because it's a type of impulse control disorder, to help pinpoint a diagnosis, your doctor may:

Ask questions about your impulses and how they make you feel

Review a list of situations to ask if these situations trigger your kleptomania episodes

Have you fill out psychological questionnaires or self-assessments

Many experts use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5, published by the American Psychiatric Association, to diagnose mental conditions. This manual is also used by insurance companies to reimburse for treatment.

DSM-5 criteria for kleptomania include these features:

You have a recurrent inability to resist urges to steal objects that aren't needed for personal use or monetary value

You feel increasing tension immediately before committing the theft

You have feelings of pleasure, relief or gratification during the act of stealing

The theft isn't committed as a way to exact revenge or to express anger and isn't done while hallucinating or delusional

The stealing isn't related to a conduct disorder, a manic episode of bipolar disorder or antisocial personality disorder

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